


The Honeymoon

by Sharkeygirl



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Dark Past, Day At The Beach, F/M, Honeymoon, sand castle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:21:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24324205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sharkeygirl/pseuds/Sharkeygirl
Summary: While on vacation, Severus' daughter spots something unusual on his arm. Can Hermione convince Severus that his children will still love him even after they find out the truth behind his scars?Takes place between Kiss From a Rose and Now That Your Rose Is In Bloom
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Severus Snape
Comments: 8
Kudos: 57





	The Honeymoon

"Victor, please give me that." Rose reached across a nearly completed turret for the seashell in Victor's hand.

Victor looked at the slightly chipped sand dollar. He'd never seen or heard of anything like it before. It was fascinating. "No."

"But Victor, it's my drawbridge!" Rose argued.

"Can you use a different shell for your bridge, Rose?" Hermione tried in vain to diffuse the growing tension between her children.

"No, Mummy! It's the only one that fits!"

"My shell!" Victor squealed, scooting away from his sister in a perfect crab imitation.

"Oh look, Victor! See this one?" Hermione distracted her son with a pretty pink conch. Victor reached out for the treasure with wide-eyed wonder.

"And how about this one?" Hermione extended a white scallop in exchange for the sand dollar, which she slid behind her back into her husband's waiting grasp.

"Why don't you and Victor go on a seashell hunting expedition?" Severus smiled as he handed the sand dollar to Rose. "I think I saw some big ones just beyond that sand dune. I can stay with Rose and help her finish her castle."

Hermione exchanged a look with Rose, whose eyes pleaded with her mother for a little respite. "I think that's a brilliant idea. Victor, let's see what we can find down the way."

Hermione kissed her daughter on the forehead before taking Victor by the hand. Together they strolled along the shore, stopping every now and then to pick up and examine a new find.

"Does it look like Hogwarts yet, Daddy?" Rose pulled Severus' attention back to the task at hand.

"You're still missing the Astronomy Tower," he replied. "It should go right there."

Rose enthusiastically scooped another mound of damp sand and moulded it into a pile which, if one squinted, vaguely resembled the astronomy tower.

A few yards away, the ocean hummed and splashed as the waves ebbed and flowed against the shoreline. Although there were quite a few other beach goers, the area was not at all crowded. Then again, that was part of the plan. They'd hoped that in the middle of May the weather would be warm enough to enjoy the Florida beaches, yet it would be early enough in the tourist season to avoid the crowds. So far, the plan had worked perfectly.

Rose began to hum a tune Aunt Ginevra had taught her as she carved tiny windows into the turret. Severus turned his attention to Hermione and Victor, who had stopped to study a piece of barnacle-encrusted driftwood. He glanced back at Rose in time to see her set a tiny whelk atop the tower like a furled flag. She suddenly stared, puzzling at something in the distance.

"Daddy?"

"What?"

She turned to him. "Why are you wearing a shirt? None of the other Daddies are wearing shirts."

"My skin will burn in the sun easier than theirs will.”

"Oh," she answered, jamming her fingers into the sand and dragging them through the periphery to create a moat.

Severus flashed her a smile and she smiled contentedly in return, savouring the feel of the cool sand between her fingers.

Although he hadn't lied to Rose about the shirt, Severus hadn't been completely honest with her, either. The garment also hid the numerous scars on his chest and back. It wasn't that he was ashamed of them; he just did not relish the prospect of spending his honeymoon entertaining the stares of strangers.

There were times Severus and Hermione had despaired of ever taking a honeymoon. First they needed Rose and Victor to sleep through the night; then they needed them to keep toileting "accidents" to a minimum. Finally when their children reached the ages of three and four, they felt the time was right. While any other couple might have thought it unconventional to take children on a honeymoon, Severus and Hermione couldn't have imagined it any other way. Rose had brought them together; Victor had sealed and symbolized their love. It was only fitting to bring them along.

"Daddy, can you help me dig the moat?"

Severus rolled up his sleeves to keep from soiling the cuffs.

"Daddy!" Rose gasped.

Severus glanced up. Rose had abandoned her moat digging to stare with fascination at the dark mark. "You have a snake on your arm.”

"Yes, I do," he swallowed.

“Why?" Rose looked up at him, her eyes full of innocence and trust.

For years, he’d tried to avoid having this discussion by paying attention to how he dressed around his children. He'd always worn long, buttoned sleeves at home. Of course she'd notice and ask about the dark mark.

"A man gave it to me," Severus answered.

Rose's eyes softened. "You look sad. Did it hurt?"

"A little.”

"When I grow up, I want one just like it. I’m sure I can find a way to make it not hurt when I get it.”

"No Little One, you don't want this," Severus answered. "Your arm is beautiful just the way it is."

"But that snake is beautiful."

"No, this marks not beautiful. It has only brought me pain."

"How did it hurt you?"

"When the man who gave it to me wanted to see me, he made it burn."

“Oh, does it still burn?"

"No."

"Good. I don't think I want one any more." She looked up at him with a bright smile. "We need some more water."

Severus forced a smile. "Indeed we do."

She darted towards the shoreline.

"Rose!"

She stopped in her tracks and looked back. Severus stood up, her blue handled red bucket in hand. "You need this."

"Oh yeah.”

Severus caught her hand in his and together they walked into the surf.

***

"Treasure!" Victor announced, peering through his toilet roll spyglass.

"Where? Where?" Rose squealed as she scooted from the pillows to the side of the bed, Mr. Snake in hand.

"There!" Victor crowed as he pointed across the room at the collection of sea shells he and Hermione had collected.

"Arrr! We'd better set sail for them, then!"

Severus stood in the doorway that connected their suites, watching as the would-be pirates jumped ship and raced for the treasure.

"No, Victor!" Rose admonished as he reached for a seashell. "You have to dig for it first."

"Oh."

Rose set Mr. Snake on the ground to stand guard as they grabbed imaginary shovels to unearth their booty. Severus chuckled as they jostled each other in their quest, and cheered at their success when they gathered their treasure into their arms, Severus wondered how long they'd stay this young, this pure. His heart sank as he imagined them much older…and much more aware of who he was.

"Did they find the treasure?" Hermione asked as she stepped into the doorway.

"It would appear so."

"Good," she replied before stepping inside . "Are my pirates ready for their baths?"

The children turned to her and chorused an emphatic "no".

"I wanna see the owl first," Victor announced.

"The what?" Severus raised an eyebrow.

"The brown owl with the owange eyes. He looks like fun."

Severus' eyes widened in understanding as he remembered spotting the Hooters they'd passed by. "Victor, that's a restaurant. We've already eaten."

"Can we get ice cream there?"

"Not tonight;" Hermione interjected, remembering reading their slogan, 'Delightfully Tacky Yet Unrefined'. "It's bath time."

"But I want to eat ice cream."

"We can have some tomorrow."

"Fine," Victor pouted.

Hermione turned to her daughter. "Rose, it's your turn to go first."

"Do I have to?" she whined.

"Do you want to take a bath in a sandy tub because you went after Victor?"

She scowled as she trudged towards Hermione. Severus could not help but beam in pride at the young girl.

She had mastered his scowl perfectly.

***

"Severus?" Hermione slipped into bed and snuggled next to her husband.

"Yes?" Severus pulled her into his arms.

"You've been quiet this evening. Is something wrong?"

"What could possibly be wrong in a place like this?" Severus answered before kissing her on the jaw.

"Severus," she whispered as his kisses travelled to her cheek. "I can tell when something's troubling you."

“You've always been intuitive that way," he replied, capturing her lips.

They lingered in the kiss, savouring a rare opportunity to show affection free from the prying eyes of their children.

He finally pulled away with a sigh, "Rose saw the dark mark."

"She did," Hermione replied. "What did you tell her?"

"I told her she shouldn't get one and that it hurt to have it."

"I see.”

Silence fell between them. 

"She's going to find out someday."

"Find out what someday?"

"She's going to find out who I am, what my role was in the war, and how I had to hurt people along the way. She'll find out how horribly I treated you, the things that happened to students under my headmastership…"

"You protected the students the best you could without blowing your cover," Hermione cut in. "Even Headmaster Longbottom will attest to that."

"Rose and Victor may find that difficult to believe when they hear others tell the story.”

Hermione kissed him on the cheek. "You made some mistakes, but you corrected them.”

“It took years to atone for everything I've done though.”

“Your children will understand that you changed and saved the Wizarding World several times over.”

“I hope so.”

“They love you, Severus. Nothing will change that."

"They love who I am today, but I wasn't always this man. If I'd known that I'd have a wife and children I never would've done half the things I did, including joining the Death Eaters. I…"

"Daddy!" 

Severus and Hermione leapt out of bed and ran to the other side of the suite. Rose was curled up in a ball on her bed, crying until she couldn't breathe properly. Victor looked on helplessly.

"What's wrong, Little One?" Severus asked as he scooped Rose into his arms.

"I had a bad dream," she sobbed. "It was terrible, Daddy."

"What happened?"

"I was walking on the beach, and a wolf came! He started chasing me, and then he bit me! I couldn't find you or Mummy! I was so scared!"

"Oh, Rose," Severus replied before kissing her on the head. She sobbed into his nightshirt. Once her breathing began to even out, Severus tilted her head up towards him. "What do you think we need to do?"

"I don't know. Keep the wolf away?"

"Well," Severus began as he turned to Mr. Snake. "Wolves are afraid of snakes. Mr. Snake can help keep him away."

"The wolf ate Mr. Snake too."

"Well, then I'll have to cast some wards to keep the wolves away."

She sniffed and nodded her assent.

Severus muttered a few incantations as his wand turned blue. Once it faded, he announced, "There. Those wards should keep all the wolves away."

"All of them?"

"All of them.”

Rose hugged him. "I love you Daddy."

Severus kissed her on the cheek. "I love you, too. I won't let any wolves get you or your brother. I'll fight an entire pack if I have to."

"Will you use that Fiendfyre spell to keep them away?"

"If I must."

"Will you hex them until they run away?"

"Of course.”

Rose kissed him on the cheek. "I love you, Daddy. You're the best Daddy ever."

She then settled into the sheets and closed her eyes. Severus kissed her again before whispering, “Goodnight, Little One.”

“I’m not little.”

“Are you taller than me?”

She laughed before yawning. ”Goodnight Daddy.”

"Goodnight, my Little Rose."

Severus stayed with her until her breathing slowed into quiet snores. He then bent over and kissed Victor, who was nestled next to his sister. Silently he and Hermione returned to their bed.

"That is what Rose will remember."

"What?"

"When Rose finds out about your past, she won't see a former Death Eater. She'll see a father who was there for her when no one else was; who held her when she was scared. She'll remember a father who taught her how to brew potions and who showed her spells that made her mother cringe. She'll remember the man who called her ‘Little One' and loved her. Victor will remember all those things too, except perhaps the ‘Little One' part."

Severus chuckled, then stroked her hair. "Thank you."

“There’s no need to thank me for telling the truth. We love you, dark past and all. You have always been there for us and we will always be there for you, too. Nothing will change that."

"What did I ever do to deserve you?"

"You agreed to marry me.”

“What a wise move.”

She kissed him once more. “Happy honeymoon, Love."

He held her close. ”Happy honeymoon, Love."

**Author's Note:**

> This is something I wrote years ago. I meant to post it after Kiss From a Rose, but decided against it for some reason. Still, I wanted to thank all of you for your support through the years, so here it is!
> 
> Thank you for the support! It is very deeply appreciated!


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